Seán Sherlock
Question:206. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the amount a pilot project in an urban setting would cost to run a school transport programme for one school year. [30606/24]
View answerThursday, 11 July 2024
Questions (206)
Written answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/2024 school year over 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02m.
At present, pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school. As determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language
At post primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre are deemed eligible. As determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
As you are aware, my Department recently completed a review of the School Transport Scheme which marks the largest review of the scheme since it was established in 1967. This review was conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness, and sustainability and to ensure it services students and their families adequately.
Following approval by Government at the end of February, School Transport 2030 was published. Government is committed to working to achieve the report’s recommendation of expanding access to the scheme so that an additional 100,000 pupils can be carried by 2030.
A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations will begin in September 2024. This will include a shared effort between my Department and the Department of Transport, supported by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Bus Éireann, to pilot and introduce greater integration of existing public transport networks with post-primary school transport routes.
Following closure of the application process for the upcoming school year, consideration will be given to further pilots in other areas of the country. These will be considered in areas where potential demand exists and where capacity/resources are not a particular issue.
It is not possible to provide the information requested by the Deputy as each pilot will have different requirements in terms of the scale of the project. All funding for the school transport scheme for 2024 will be derived from core/current funding. Any requirement for supplementary funding for 2024, will be sought using the agreed supplementary estimates process which has not yet been finalised.
My Department is keen to learn from these innovative developments how best to implement the recommendations for the wider school transport system. I am fully committed to growing the pilots based on the evidence and feedback from the communities involved in this first phase. The planned pilot projects in the 2024/2025 school year will provide valuable insights on
• the impact increased demand will have on the scheme.
• the potential to integrate public transport services with school transport services.
• the facilitation of more sustainable modes of transport.
These insights will give an indication of the scale of planning and implementation required for national implementation of a revised School Transport Scheme, to include the integration of public transport and school transport services.